Yes Or No, What Is The Vote Count?

Note: This posting can be considered as filler for Part 2. Part 1, written in October 2014 can be read here.

There is less than two days to go before the Federal Court decides if Anwar Ibrahim's appeal against Sodomy II conviction is dismissed (read: Go to Jail) or overturned again.

Three weeks ago I was invited for a dinner session by a friend at Bangsar as to discuss certain business matters having driven straight away from a small retreat in Bukit Tinggi. I've asked him whether if he had seen a live streaming of Anwar Ibrahim's talk session at One World Hotel held on that afternoon itself. 

He said no, but asked what are the points that Anwar mentioned throughout the three hours there. 

Based on what was mentioned in certain news portals, I just gave him the points in summary based on what I've skimmed through. After that, based on what Anwar said, my friend speaks of things that seems to be certain.

"This means my information is correct. They (judges) are going to throw out the appeal and send him to the jail."

So it seems to confirm my hunch feeling that I've written a few months ago (assuming that the judges are going to deliver on that same day). A few days to that, Syed Akbar Ali's information seems to match with what he said and what I felt. So it confirms my suspicion that some of the politikus aligning to the Old Man is determined to throw him off. And I keep imagining that the AG has been banging his table for more than 3 years since the High Court gave a not guilty verdict baying for his blood like a hound.

"What's the vote of hands?" I asked.

It's 3 to 2. 

Hmm... seems to match my hunch too. My friend doesn't think that it would be 4-1. One week ago, Raja Petra Kamarudin seems to think it's 4-1, if the judges have their own way.

The next question was who are the judges likely to send him to jail. My friend and his source said "You know, the usual lot"...

Scratching my head, I tried to recall the names of 5 judges who presided in the Federal court appeal. 

According to the insider source, it is likely that Raus Sharif, Suriyadi Omar and Ramly Ali are the ones that could vote yes to dismissing appeal, while the CJ Ariffin and Hamid Embong (they say he has a very good singing voice) is likely to say otherwise. When I asked about Raus and Suriyadi, my friend scorned at hearing the names of the two judges.

The last question we went to our business matter talk is of what happens after that? Assuming that we stick to the guilty verdict, I believed that there are many UMNO supporters and flea-primates are likely to jump up and down in excitement to see someone so badly in jail and then after a few days would shake their legs as if business is back to usual and the trend of "yes man" behind the scenes resumes as usual.

"You got it wrong, my friend."

He went to elaborate that once the verdict is out, people, starting with the opposition supporters will start to get angry at Najib, government and UMNO. Next few months down the line, ordinary people will start to join the queue, once they start to feel the real pinch of GST and worsening economy from the ongoing currency and petrol price wars between the big nations. Later, more people, especially the Malay people out of sympathy could jump ship in support. So this too hews closely Syed Akbar's opinion as well.

"You can be surprised that he can do more damage from the prison."

In anyway, Najib and Co gets a double whammy. Even at the 11th hour, with Najib deciding to intervene with the 5 judges,  considering possible reaction, his internal party would not be very happy would start to use any means to kick him out. The label "incompetent" is hovering around Najib by some of them.

If there are people thinking that everything will vanish one way or another after the fallout of the trial, they are sadly mistaken. I will not be surprised the outcome in the future can be turned into a revolution one way or another, internal or external. And as Matthias Chang once said, it's not surprising that the new four letter work replacing the word "FUCK" is "UMNO".